House Plant Care of Croton

To grow a croton standard like the plant in the image above, select the strongest, most upright stem arising from the soil. Remove all others. Pinch all the shoots off the lower 2 thirds of the new trunk. Pinch the tips of the remaining shoots until your little tree's crown becomes as bushy as you desire.

Keeping a croton as a house plant is an exercise in pleasure and pain.

Croton plants must receive enough light to color well. They like
high humidity so you may need to run a vaporizer or humidifier during
the heating season to keep them happy.
Fresh air circulating around the plants will keep the spider mites at
bay. A healthy croton plant has no peer as a colorful foliage plant.

An unhappy croton is another matter.

If any aspect of its culture is disagreeable to it, leaf drop will occur post haste.

To propagate crotons, take 4 inch cuttings in the summer. They root easily as long as they are kept warm and humid.